Article-release shackle for trolley-supported handling systems to facilitate processing

ABSTRACT

A shiftable and article-releasable shackle for use with a trolley-supported handling system to facilitate processing, such as the evisceration of poultry, which utilizes a multiplicity of vertically suspended shackle elements suspended at upper ends from the trolley system and having adjacent the lower extremities thereof retaining elements for interconnection of the suspended articles. In operation and functional structure, an abutment and/or deflection elements are fixedly mounted at a point or points in the course of travel of the shackles for striking against and preferably camming the shackles and particularly the retaining elements in such a way as to release the articles which then drop with the aid of gravity.

United States Patent Klevgard [151 3,656,206 [45] Apr. 18,1972

[54] ARTICLE-RELEASE SHACKLE FOR TROLLEY-SUPPORTED HANDLING SYSTEMS TO FACILITATE PROCESSING [72] Inventor: Glenn A. Klevgard, Faribault, Minn. [73] Assignee: Domain Industries, Inc., New Richmond,

Wis.

[22] Filed: Jan. 9, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 1,720

52 u.s.'c| ..17/11 [51] Int.Cl ..A22c 21/00 [58] FieldofSearch ..l7/1l,44.1,11.2

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,760,392 5/1930 Arminger ..17/11.2 3,097,391 7/1963 Wayne ..17/11 3,156,007 11/1964 Smith ..l7/44.1 3,166,785 l/l965 Lemmond ..17/44.1

Primary llraminer-Lucie H. Laudenslager Attorney-Williamson, Palmatier & Bains, George F. Williamson, H. Dale Palmatier and llennan H. Bains ABSTRACT A shiftable and article-releasable shackle for use with a trolley-supported handling system to facilitate processing, such as the evisceration of poultry, which utilizes a multiplicity of vertically suspended shackle elements suspended at upper ends from the trolley system and having adjacent the lower extremities thereof retaining elements for interconnection of the suspended articles. In operation and functional structure, an abutment and/or deflection elements are fixedly mounted at a point or points in the course of travel of the shackles for striking against and preferably camming the shackles and particularly the retaining elements in such a way as to release the articles which then drop with the aid of gravity.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 18 I912 3, 656,206

SHEET 2 OF 2 l Ba ARTICLE-RELEASE SHACKLE FOR TROLLEY- SUPPORTED HANDLING SYSTEMS TO FACILITATE PROCESSING through a general horizontal line of travel. Such systems of the prior art have been employed in poultry processing operations where with the fowl carcasses suspended by their rear legs are successively processed for cleaning, removal of innards and the like.

It is an object of my invention to provide, in a shackle system of the class identified, new and improved mechanism for detachably retaining the respective fowls in suspended l relation during travel and processing and for further providing automatic and successive release of the suspended fowl carcasses after a processing operation, such as in eviscerating, is completed.

The invention further provides as an integral unit a new and improved shackle device wherein fowls may be readily attached and suspended by the hind legs thereof and which is adapted during travel for combinative release operation with a very simple, converging camming wire, rail or other element employed as part of the system.

More specifically, the invention provides in close combinative relation with a multiplicity of novel shackles suspended for travel and for retaining poultry carcasses, mountings for the respective shackles permissive of outward swinging of the individual shackles successively from substantially a vertical plane to an upwardly declined plane with leg-grasping elements for utilizing gravity to release the attached foot joints of the carcasses when the shackles are successively swung outwardly through a relatively small acute angle. The combination further requires a camming or deflecting element, such as a horizontal rod, plate or the equivalent, placed in a converging relation with respect to the general horizontal line of travel of the carcasses and disposed in the path of the shackles to successively engage and swing the same in their normal travel after individual carcasses have reached a predetermined point.

The foregoing objects and purpose of the invention will be more apparent from the following description made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing an embodiment of the invention and illustrating the improved shackles supporting a plurality of fowl carcasses, after eviscerating or other processing, and also showing release and dropping of a carcass upon operation of the ejection or release mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing a carcass supported by the improved shackle immediately prior to ejection or release of the legs from the shackle, and showing also mechanism including a shackle in the very act of release of the supporting legs of the carcass;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1, the dotted lines indicating the outward swinging of a shackle produced by a converging camming wire or rod; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a preferred type of the novel shackle removed from the supporting and trolley apparatus.

Referring now in detail to the invention and apparatus illustrated, a supporting trolley structure for supporting and facilitating travel of a multiplicity of depending vertically placed support links L is employed and, as shown, comprises an inverted rigid T-rail T upon the horizontal outtumed flanges of which a multiplicity of U-shaped yokes Y are rollersupported each by a pair of spaced wheels W journaled on horizontal axes A which are in the form, as shown, of pins axially projecting from the outward side of the two wheels W and journaled in bearings, drilled or otherwise formed at the upper ends of the arms of the yokes Y.

As shown, the yokes Y near the depending ends thereof have affixed as by welding thereto small horizontal sleeves Z which are suitably clamped or otherwise affixed to an elongate or continuous flexible element, such as a small cable C, the sleeves of the respective yokes being spaced apart some distance for separate manipulation of the carcasses or other units to be processed. The numerous and similar vertical links L, as shown at their upper ends, are swingably and pivotally connected by swivel eyes E with detachable spring hooks H which in turn interlock with depending small attachment eyes X afiixed to the lower extremities of the yokes Y.

Links L are attached at their upper ends to the swivel loops E by loops 5 which may be bent from the rod material of the links, and at the lower end of links L generally circular shackle-supporting loops 6 are provided preferably lying generally in planes which are disposed perpendicular to the general line of travel of the apparatus.

It will be understood that the track T may have inclines, declines or undulations formed therein which of course the rollers or wheels will follow in travel. To conform to such variations, cable C is flexible and it is to be understood that the motorized mechanism, drum or other pulling mechanism is connected with cable C to impart longitudinal movement to such cable and consequently generally horizontal traveling movement of the yokes Y and the components, elements or materials supported in suspended relation from such yokes.

Referring now to the preferred construction of the individual shackles indicated as entireties by the letter S, the general shape is that of an inverted yoke having an upper U- shaped attachment element 7 which is swingably connected with the lower loop 6 of its appropriate link L. The shackle has spaced arms 8 which first diverge from the attachment portion 7 and then past their medial portions, as shown are slightly converged, to rather widely spaced lower extremities 9.

Spanning the depending extremities 9 of the arms 8, and if desired integrally formed therewith, is a specially shaped knuckle-retaining bar, indicated as an entirety by the numeral 10, having a central substantially straight intermediate rod portion 10a which is continued and merged into somewhat convergent knuckle-retaining elements 10b preferably integrally formed with central rod portion 10a and, as shown, lying in a common plane therewith and having the outer arms 100 of the U-shaped formations connected or integrally formed with diagonal brace rods 11 which have their upper ends 11a welded or otherwise affixed to the intermediate portion of the depending shackle arms 8.

The specific poultry leg-retaining elements illustrated, which comprise the widely spaced notched sections defined by the bent rod arm portions T00 and 10b, may constitute a great variety of elements and materials to provide for retaining the legs of the carcass of a fowl with the fowl suspended. The notched retaining elements, generally indicated by the letter V, are preferably disposed in a common plane and have somewhat converging notches with engagement edges for receiving the lower portions of the leg of the fowl preferably, and most advantageously, at points against the enlargements or foot knuckles of the fowls.

The leg-retaining portions 10, when the shackles are in nor mal operation with the carcasses of fowls suspended therefrom, have the retaining elements V inclined to the horizontal to cooperate with the force of gravity in retaining 5 the fowls in the suspended relation shown in the drawings with the knuckles K of the legs of the fowl being engaged and directly suspended by the retaining elements V.

The present invention provides for suspending and traveling the poultry carcasses P in suspended relation from the hind or leg portion thereof downwardly and spaced individually apart throughout a processing line. The processing is usually carried out manually but at least in part may be carried out by automatic machinery and takes place while the carcasses are vertically suspended as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. One or more processing operations, such as burning or riddance of pinfeathers and eviscerating, is accomplished on the continually moving or intermittently moving trolley-supported line. Travel movement is imparted by pull upon the common cable C which interconnects the suspending mechanisms in spaced relation.

While it is not absolutely necessary to maintain the carcasses in predetermined suspended vertical position, I prefer to provide, at least at the portions of the travel line of the system where processing takes place, a horizontal guide element 12 generally horizontally disposed and preferably made of a smooth cable or other flexible element mounted in fixed relations to engage against the intermediate portions of the legs of the fowl in suspended relation. The operators or, if machinery is used, the machines thus have a predetermined retaining line to depend on for assisting in the eviscerating or other processing to be done.

My invention contemplates, in close combinative relationship with the depending special shackles and trolley-supported moving mechanism, an ejection mechanism for liberating the legs of the respective carcasses at a predetermined point or points from the shackles thereby, through gravity, enabling the carcasses to be dropped or to fall into a conveyor or apparatus which relates to the next step of the general processing of the poultry or other carcasses.

Generally speaking, such ejection means consists in a deflection mechanism or camming means for, at a predetermined location or at predetermined locations, producing a relative movement between the extremity joints or knuckles K and the V-shaped carcass-retaining elements or notches V.

A very economical and efficient release mechanism is shown as accomplished by mounting a deflecting or camming cable 13 (supported by brackets 13a) substantially horizontally disposed and crossing or first merging with and then diverging from the guide medium or cable 12 (supported by brackets 12a). As shown, the diverging release cable 13 is disposed at substantially the mean height of the shackles 8 and will produce a camming action or deflection of the shackles outwardly on the hinge joints provided between the lowermost loop 6 of links L and the uppermost shackle loop 7, as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The deflection or outward swinging bodily of the shackles 8 successively takes place after a process operation such as eviscerating the carcasses and, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The outward swinging or deflection of the shackles 8 is rather fast but gradual and causes, with the help of the fixed guide cable 12, the upper legs of the carcasses to be disconnected with the help of gravity from the notch-retaining elements V of the shackles.

While in FIG. 3, which shows a deflected dotted line ejection position of one of the shackles S, it will be understood that in the scope of the invention herein, the arms 10b and 10c, which together constitute the retaining elements V, may well be deflected to a position where they are declined with respect to the horizontal, permitting the knuckles K to slide outwardly with the help of gravity and in such instance not requiring the guide cable which is constantly substantially in engagement with the legs of the carcasses a few inches below the feet knuckles K.

It will be understood that in the lateral deflection of the shackles S, caused by the diverging release deflectors or cable 13, the shackle can swing over and clear the cable if the cable is elongated and if desired, short sections of a rod or other deflecting member may be supported in divergent acute angle to the line of travel from overhead.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a novel, simple and efficient trolley-supported handling system has been provided, particularly adapted to suspend a multiplicity of fowls in poultry processing, but also adapted to various other uses where a line of vertically supported and horizontally spaced articles are moved or traveled through a predetermined course for processing, testing and the like.

As contrasted with known prior art, my multi-function shackle and handling system is substantially simpler, involves fewer parts, and is more responsive and efficient in action.

lt Wlll further be seen that with the inventive structure d15- closed, the shackles S, links L and snap hooks H may be readily detached from sleeves Z and readily sterilized in boiling water. Alternatively at a stage of the overall travel of the handling system after dropping of the carcasses or other articles, the shackles S and links L may be run through a tub of boiling water or other fluid for sterilizing and cleansing the same. The prior art devices for handling poultry, to my knowledge, are difficult to clean and sterilize.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with an overhead conveyor system moving through a predetermined generally horizontal course of travel and having a multiplicity of spaced support elements for suspending poultry shackles in vertically spaced relation,

a poultry shackle comprising:

a unitary elongate body having a central connection element at its upper end attached to one of said support elements of the conveyor system to provide for free swinging movement of said body laterally of the course of travel of said conveyor system,

a relatively narrow notched retaining element affixed angularly to the lower portion of said body, adapted to receive a somewhat diminished portion of a poultry carcass adjacent an enlargement such as a knuckle or head, with said enlargement overlying and abutting said notched element to pendulously support the poultry carcass, and

an elongate generally horizontal camming element, fixedly mounted below a portion of the course of travel of said conveyor system and disposed at a height above said notched element of said shackle body and positioned to divergently cross the longitudinal path of travel of said shackle body thereby contacting the side of said body to produce lateral swinging of said body from its normal pendant position in travel and thus producing by gravity through the weight of the suspended poultry carcass withdrawal and release of the abutted enlargement of the poultry carcass from the retaining notched element.

2. The structure and combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said shackle body is in the form of a rod-constructed frame of substantially inverted U-shape configuration having elongate side members lying in a common plane,

and having a lower end construction lying generally in a plane angled with respect to the plane defined by said elongate side members,

said lower end construction providing a pair of spaced notched retaining elements for receiving portions of the two legs of a poultry carcass below corresponding knuckles thereof, and

said pair of retaining elements being disposed one behind the other in the travel of the shackle.

3. The structure and combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized by a work-guide elongate element fixedly mounted in parallel relation and below a portion of the course of travel of said conveyor and at a height and position at one side of the longitudinal travel of the legs of said poultry carcasses to prevent lateral swinging of said carcasses during travel through said above-named portion of the travel course of said conveyor.

4. The structure and combination as set forth in'claim 1 wherein said shackle body at its upper end is readily disconnectible from said conveyor system to facilitate removal and subsequent sterilization thereof. 

1. For use with an overhead conveyor system moving through a predetermined generally horizontal course of travel and having a multiplicity of spaced support elements for suspending poultry shackles in vertically spaced relation, a poultry shackle comprising: a unitary elongate body having a central connection element at its upper end attached to one of said support elements of the conveyor system to provide for free swinging movement of said body laterally of the course of travel of said conveyor system, a relatively narrow notched retaining element affixed angularly to the lower portion of said body, adapted to receive a somewhat diminished portion of a poultry carcass adjacent an enlargement such as a knuckle or head, with said enlargement overlying and abutting said notched element to pendulously support the poultry carcass, and an elongate generally horizontal camming element, fixedly mounted below a portion of the course of travel of said conveyor system and disposed at a height above said notched element of said shackle body and positioned to divergently cross the longitudinal path of travel of said shackle body thereby contacting the side of said body to produce lateral swinging of said body from its normal pendant position in travel and thus producing by gravity through the weight of the suspended poultry carcass withdrawal and release of the abutted enlargement of the poultry carcass from the retaining notched element.
 2. The structure and combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said shackle body is in the form of a rod-constructed frame of substAntially inverted U-shape configuration having elongate side members lying in a common plane, and having a lower end construction lying generally in a plane angled with respect to the plane defined by said elongate side members, said lower end construction providing a pair of spaced notched retaining elements for receiving portions of the two legs of a poultry carcass below corresponding knuckles thereof, and said pair of retaining elements being disposed one behind the other in the travel of the shackle.
 3. The structure and combination set forth in claim 1 further characterized by a ''''work-guide'''' elongate element fixedly mounted in parallel relation and below a portion of the course of travel of said conveyor and at a height and position at one side of the longitudinal travel of the legs of said poultry carcasses to prevent lateral swinging of said carcasses during travel through said above-named portion of the travel course of said conveyor.
 4. The structure and combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said shackle body at its upper end end is readily disconnectible from said conveyor system to facilitate removal and subsequent sterilization thereof. 